Wimbledon Introduces Video Replay System in 2025.
The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the right to question certain decisions from the chair umpire, following the practice already in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
